IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 8

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday August 8 that are worth another look.

The meeting of battery materials market participants at Antaike’s Battery Materials conference in Guiyang, China, came just as news broke of Glencore’s plan to put one of its copper-cobalt mines on care and maintenance – Fastmarkets covers the Chinese market reaction and other topics of discussion at the conference on August 7-8.

Scrap metal cargoes from Japan have been refused entry into South Korea over the past two weeks after the country’s customs started asking for certificates to prove radiation levels, sources told Fastmarkets.

German copper refiner Aurubis Group has forecast a continued weakening of the European copper market in its latest financial statement, indicating a significant dent to earnings as a result of subdued copper demand across the continent.

China’s domestic stainless steel prices increased over the past week amid unabated concerns over Indonesia’s export ban for unprocessed nickel ore, which is set to come into effect in 2022.

The spot price for gallium in China’s domestic market edged up on Wednesday August 7 after suppliers were unwilling to sell cargoes below 1,000 yuan ($142) per kg in response to announced production halts by major producers in the country.

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US export controls on recycled copper would have unintended consequences that could weaken the country’s domestic recycling and manufacturing ecosystems, the president of the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) said.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments for nickel 4x4 cathode, nickel briquette and nickel uncut cathode premiums in-whs Rotterdam was delayed on Tuesday July 16 because of a reporter error.
Fastmarkets has corrected its alumina index inferred prices, which were published incorrectly on Tuesday July 15.
The United States' copper recycling industry is ramping up pressure on policymakers to impose some form of export controls on high-purity copper scrap, arguing that current trade dynamics – particularly with China – are distorting prices, weakening domestic capacity and undermining national security goals.
Fastmarkets launched two new price assessments for Indonesia’s domestic trade in nickel ore on Tuesday July 15. The two price assessments are for domestic trades of Indonesian laterite ores with 1.6% and 1.2% nickel content. Indonesia now accounts for 60% of the global nickel supplies and while there is an official government reference price, known […]
US copper scrap market participants are shifting from COMEX to LME pricing in response to extreme price volatility and a new 50% copper import tariff. The change is influencing discount formulas, export strategies and long-term trading dynamics across the sector.